'Second only to Kauto Star' - our handicapping expert assesses festival results

One of the standout performances of the week fittingly came in the Gold Cup, with A Plus Tard earning a rating that puts him in the top tier of Gold Cup winners during the Racing Post Ratings era.

The race featured a representative field, including last season's winner Minella Indo, the up-and-coming pair Protektorat and Galvin, dual previous winner Al Boum Photo and King George winner Tornado Flyer. In giving such a field an impressive 15-length beating, A Plus Tard earned an RPR of 184, tied with Denman from 2008 and second only to Kauto Star's 185 from 2009 since RPRs began in the late 1980s.

The strength of the field provides a solid foundation for such a rating, but A Plus Tard's time – both overall and his finishing split –further supports such a view and paints a more detailed picture of how the race was run.

The pace wasn't overly strong but it was by no means slow, which a visual analysis may lead you to believe. The field reached the last fence with a circuit to go around two seconds faster than in the following Hunters' Chase, which was run at a sound pace, before being much quicker on the final circuit, the overall time over 13 seconds faster than that recorded by Billaway.

A Plus Tard's strength at the finish was also notable, his margin of victory seeming unlikely given he only led at the last, but his finishing split was fast, taking over three seconds out of the field from two out to the line.

He seems certain to be back here next year as a leading contender, particularly as even then he will still only be nine, although he is likely to face several different rivals.

L'Homme Presse (167) was impressive in landing the Brown Advisory, jumping superbly throughout and hitting the line strongly, suggesting he's unlikely to have a problem stepping up further in trip for the Gold Cup.

Stattler (164) has already more than proven his stamina having won the National Hunt Chase, although he's by no means a sluggard, showing speed as well to readily get the better of Run Wild Fred. That wasn't a deep race, but he looks open to further improvement.

One horse likely to have a big say wherever he goes next is Galopin Des Champs, who looked on his way to doing something special when agonisingly falling at the last in the Turners. He jumped and travelled in a style rarely seen and, though meeting a clearly below-par Bob Olinger, has been awarded an RPR of 175, based on a conservative estimate of a 15-length margin of victory.

The Mullins camp has mentioned races ranging from the Champion Chase to the Gold Cup as targets for the best novice chaser in training but, either way, he's an outstanding prospect.

This year's running of the Arkle didn't look a strong one and Edwardstone (165) is rated as an average winner. He's extremely likeable and sure to give a good account of himself stepping up into open company next season, though that form does leave him a long way short of the likes of Shishkin, Energumene and Chacun Pour Soi.

It was disappointing that we didn't get the clash so desired in the Champion Chase, though Energumene (177) still rates as a good winner, a performance bettered only in the last ten years by Altior in 2018 and Sprinter Sacre in 2013.

Allaho in the Ryanair was another high-profile winner for Willie Mullins, his RPR of 179 a match for what he achieved in the corresponding race last season. It was a near-faultless display of jumping, that trait making him a formidable opponent over the intermediate trip.

For the second year running the Champion Hurdle went the way of Honeysuckle (159), the brilliant mare gaining a third overall festival success and extending her unbeaten run under rules to 15. This performance was shy of her peak RPR, gained in this race last year, of 165, though it wasn't a race conducive to a big figure thanks to the modest gallop and the relative proximity of some unfancied rivals.

A serious contender to end Honeysuckle's unbeaten run emerged in the Supreme with Constitution Hill (172) achieving the best RPR of any festival novice hurdle. It was a remarkable performance achieved in a very fast time, facilitated by a strong pace but cemented by Constitution Hill's turn of foot and power-packed finish, still notably strong at the line. He looks every inch a Champion Hurdle winner of the future.

Constitution Hill: looks a Champion Hurdle winner in waiting following a brilliant performance in the SupremeCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The Ballymore went the way of Sir Gerhard (154), who stood out on form and didn't need to match the 157 RPR he achieved at the Dublin Racing Festival, form which has worked out well. He remains an exciting prospect, however, one likely to make a cracking novice chaser should connections go down that route.

Willie Mullins was also responsible for the Triumph and Albert Bartlett winners, even if the latter did come from slightly more left-field. He was relatively unfancied in the market, but The Nice Guy (156) produced a performance comparable to the best recent winners of the race nonetheless.

Vauban (147) won a slightly muddling running of the Triumph, his performance at the lower end of recent winners, but he's certainly a horse of some potential.

A contender for ride of the week came in the Stayers' Hurdle, Danny Mullins executing front-running tactics to perfection aboard Flooring Porter (166). Though slightly below the figure achieved in winning the race last year, Flooring Porter has now cemented his position as the best staying hurdler around.

What looked a deep running of the Champion Bumper went the way of Facile Vega who, despite running in tough conditions, produced one of the best recent performances in this race, an RPR of 141 a match for what Ferny Hollow achieved in 2020. Placed horses American Mike and James's Gate also look promising jumpers of the future.

Elimay (146), Marie's Rock (146) and Love Envoi (138) won the mares' races, the latter a particularly progressive individual who will hold sound claims of making her presence felt outside of novice company next season.

The classy Delta Work (166) took remarkably well to the demands of the cross-country track when downing Tiger Roll and, in the manner of his now retired stablemate, seems likely to be a fixture in this race for years to come.

Perhaps the most noteworthy of the handicap winners were State Man (149) and Corach Rambler (151).

State Man was totally unexposed heading into the County and showed much improved form, doing it in the style of one likely to be plying his trade in Graded company before long.

Corach Rambler produced an astonishing performance under a brilliant ride in the Ultima, weaving his way through from the back of the field and storming up the hill to lead close home. He's not entirely straightforward but has talent, with more to come if that can be channelled correctly.